Question Number: 30804

Kicks From The Penalty mark 9/23/2016

RE: Adult

Haji Hussain Jan of Muscat, Muscat Oman asks...

'No field player can act as a goalkeeper in penalty shootout unless player is already a goalkeeper during playing time'.
Can you explain above penalty shootout rule?

Answer provided by Referee Peter Grove

Hi Haji,

This is not a part of the Laws of the Game. It could be a local rule of competition and if so, I couldn't really speak to the rationale behind it.

Under the 'regular' Laws, while it is true that only players who were on the field at the end of the match can take part in kicks from the penalty mark, any of the players taking part could go in goal for their team during the kicks.

There is an exception, if the team's goalkeeper gets injured during the KFTPM and they have not used up all their substitutes, a substitute goalkeeper may be brought on.

Answer provided by Referee Joe McHugh

Hi Haji
Any player on the field of play can undertake the goalkeeper duties provided the referee is informed, it happens at a stoppage in play and he puts on the goalkeepers jersey.
The same applies to Kicks from the Penalty Mark so any outfield player who was on the field of play at the end of the game can become the goalkeeper. The referee is informed and he puts on the GK jersey. Referee Grove has outlined the one exception of a substitution at that time.
Now this rarely happens except in the case of a goalkeeper injury or in Underage where a better shot saver may have been playing outfield.
In Underage games or other modified rules games such a veterans, players with disabilities etc the competition organisers may implement a local competition rule to prevent that happening and so be it. What you quote is likely to be such a local competition rule and it is certainly not part of the regular Laws of the Game. In a regular open age normal game played under FIFA Laws it is not possible to have that rule.

Answer provided by Referee Jason Wright

Hi Haji,
The Laws of the Game permit any on-field player to be goalkeeper during Kicks From The Mark (penalty shootout), regardless of who was goalkeeper during the match. What you have quoted may be a local competition or tournament rule.

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See Question: 30818